Protected power devices

ABSTRACT

A power insulated gate field effect transistor has main cells ( 2 ) controlled by a main cell insulated gate and sense cells ( 4 ) controlled by a sense cell insulated gate. A sample and hold circuit ( 10, 50 ) is arranged to operate in a plurality of states including at least one sample state and a hold state to sense the current flowing through the sense cells ( 4 ) when in the at least one sample state but not in the hold state. The sample states may be used in a feedback loop to control a drive amplifier ( 20 ) driving the gates of the main and sense cells ( 2,4 ) and/or to mirror the current in the sense cells ( 4 ) on a measurement output terminal ( 58 ).

RELATED PATENT DOCUMENTS

This patent document is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/552,947 filed on Oct. 13, 2005 now U.S.Pat. No. 7,477,089, which is a 35 U.S.C. §371 national stage entry ofInternational Application No. PCT/IB2004/001156 filed on Apr. 8, 2004,which claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of European PatentApplication No. 0308758.2 filed on Apr. 16, 2003, to which priority isalso claimed here.

The invention relates to protected power devices, and in particular toprotected power devices with a current measurement or current limitingcircuit.

There is an increasing demand for integrated devices including currentmeasurement facilities with a silicon switch. This is particularlyapparent in the automotive sector. Such switches can be dedicatedhigh-side switches or dedicated low side switches.

More recently, devices have been coming on to the market which canfunction either as a high-side or a low side device. These devices needto be compatible with either high side or low side devices. In general,low side devices impose more stringent requirements, since a low siden-type field effect power transistor will generally have its drain inthe substrate and its source will be connected to the most negativepotential available.

In these circuits, it is not possible to use conventional virtual earthtype current sensing amplifiers since these rely on being able tocontrol the potential of a summing junction by sourcing current from amore negative node. In low side circuits, a negative supply capable ofsupplying currents of order several milliamps is generally notavailable.

Thus, an alternative current measurement circuit would be desirable.Such circuits may be used in current trip circuits, in which thetransistor is switched off if the current exceeds a predetermined value,or in current limiting circuits in which the current value is used in acontrol loop to limit the current through the transistor.

In current limiting circuits, there is a difficult trade off betweenmaintaining stability and freedom from oscillation whilst dealingadequately in the same circuit with abnormal load conditions, inparticular to maintain a rapid response. This exacerbates the problem ofintegration with low side devices using conventional virtual earth typeamplifiers.

There is thus a need for improved power devices including currentlimiting and/or measurement circuits.

According to the invention there is provided a power insulated gatefield effect transistor, having main cells controlled by a main cellinsulated gate and sense cells controlled by a sense cell insulatedgate; and a sample and hold circuit connected in series with the sensecells and arranged to operate in a plurality of states including atleast one sample state and a hold state; wherein the sample and holdcircuit is arranged to sense the current flowing through the sense cellswhen in the at least one sample state but not in the hold state.

The circuit uses a sense cell type architecture in which the currentpassing through the sense cells is only measured in the sample state andso only needs a current sink in the sample state. Although it is notgenerally practicable to provide a continuous supply capable of sinkingthis current, it is practicable to provide a sink capable of sinking thecurrent for some of the time, for example 5% to 20% of the time, asrequired in the present invention.

Preferably, the sample and hold circuit is a feedback sample and holdcircuit connected to the sense cells and arranged to operate in afeedback sample state to sense the current passing through the sensecells and having an output arranged to drive the sense cell gate towardsa voltage in which a target current passes through the sense cells, andto operate in the hold state to hold its output voltage and to drive themain cell insulated gate with that output voltage.

In a particularly preferred arrangement the output from the feedbacksample and hold circuit is on a gate drive node connected to the maincell gate electrode through a first switch, the first switch being heldopen in the sample state to isolate the main cell insulated gate fromthe gate drive node and closed in the hold state to drive the main cellinsulated gate from the gate drive node.

By isolating the control loop from the main cells in this way, the maincells shield to a large extent the control loop from the effects of theload. The control loop through the feedback sample and hold circuit is asmall signal loop that can rapidly attain the required conditions. Thisgreatly increases the stability.

The device may include control circuitry connected to control the switchor switches for cycling between the sample and the hold states with aduty cycle in which the ratio of time in the sample state or states totime in the hold state is in the range 1:5 to 1:50.

The sample and hold circuit may contain a mirror summing node connectedto the source of the sense cells; a current sink field effect transistor(FET) connected to the summing node to sink the current passing throughthe sense cells in the sample mode; a summing node sample and holdamplifier with an amplifier input connected to the mirror summing nodeand an amplifier output connected to the gate of the current sink FETthrough a third switch, the third switch being closed in the or eachsample state to control the current sink so that the summing node is avirtual earth; and at least one mirror FET mirroring the current sinkFET, the output of the summing node amplifier connecting to the gate ofthe mirror FET to control the mirror FET to mirror in the mirror FET thecurrent passing in the current sink FET in a sample state.

The device may also include a measurement output terminal for supplyinga signal indicative of the current passing through the sense cells.

In some embodiments, a plurality of mirror FETs may be connected, thesample and hold circuit being arranged with a corresponding plurality ofsample states to mirror the current passing through the current sink FETin the corresponding sample state.

The at least one mirror FET may include a current mirror FET connectedto a feedback sample and hold amplifier connected to drive the gate ofthe sense cells and connected through a first switch to drive the gateof the main cells in the hold mode. There may be further provided acurrent source sourcing current into a voltage drive node connected toan input of the feedback sample and hold amplifier, the voltage drivenode connected through the current mirror FET to a current sink. Sucharrangements provide a current limited arrangement as explained in moredetail above. However, note that the provision of a feedback controlloop is not required in every case, for example if the powersemiconductor transistor is connected in a current trip arrangementrather than a current limit arrangement.

Thus as well as or instead of a current mirror FET in a feedback loopdriving the gates of the main and sense cells, the at least one mirrorFET may include a measurement mirror FET connected to a measurementoutput terminal, and the at least one sample state includes ameasurement sample state in which the current on the sense cells ismirrored on the measurement output terminal. Such arrangements may beused in current-limited or current trip circuits.

The measurement mirror FET may be connected to a measurement outputterminal. The circuit may operate in a measurement sample state with thefifth switch closed and the second switch open to mirror the currentpassing through the current sink FET on the measurement mirror FET.

The current supply may be pulsed to operate only in the sample state orstates.

The circuit may include a charge pumped current sink connected to themirror FET or FETs to sink the current passing through the or eachmirror FET. A suitable sink is much easier to arrange in the sample andhold circuit of the present invention than in prior arrangements, sincethe current sink only needs to sink current in the or each sample state,not continuously. Charge pump techniques may accordingly be used for thecurrent sink. Indeed, a common current sink may be used to sink thecurrents passing through the or each mirror FET and the current sinkFET.

The device may further include a second switch connected between theinput summing node and one of the source or drain of the main cells ofthe power insulated gate field effect transistor, the second switchbeing open in the sample state and closed in the hold state to provide acurrent path for current passing through the sense cells in the holdmode that does not pass through the current mirror.

The device may further include a fourth switch connected to the gate ofthe current sink FET to switch off the current sink FET in the holdmode.

In a particularly preferred arrangement, the current supply is pulsed tooperate only in the sample state or states; the third switch is providedbetween the summing node amplifier and a common node; and the gates ofthe or each mirror FET and the current sink FET are connected to thecommon node.

This allows the provision of auto-zero circuitry for zeroing the summingnode amplifier during the hold state in which the second switch is open.A particular problem in prior art arrangements is that small zerooffsets on amplifiers make it very difficult to achieve sufficientaccuracy in current measurement. In the circuit of the preferredarrangement, the second switch can be opened during some or all of thehold state to allow for autozeroing of the summing node amplifier.

This circuit also allows measurement, if a measurement mirror FET isprovided with a gate connected to the common node. The circuit mayoperate in a measurement sample state in which the second switch isclosed and current passing through the sense cells is mirrored on themeasurement mirror FET.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a device, comprising: apower insulated gate field effect transistor, having main cellscontrolled by a main cell insulated gate and sense cells controlled by asense cell insulated gate; a mirror summing node connected to the sourceof the sense cells; a current sink field effect transistor (FET)connected to the mirror summing node to sink the current passing throughthe sense cells in a sample state; a sample and hold summing nodeamplifier operable in at least one sample state and a hold state, thesample and hold summing node amplifier having an amplifier inputconnected to the mirror summing node and an amplifier output connectedto the gate of the current sink FET; and at least one mirror FETmirroring the current sink FET, the output of the summing node amplifierconnecting to the gate of the mirror FET to control the mirror FET tomirror the current passing in the current sink FET in a sample state.

In a yet further aspect, the invention relates to a device, comprising:a power insulated gate field effect transistor, having main cellscontrolled by a main cell insulated gate and sense cells controlled by asense cell insulated gate; a feedback sample and hold circuit connectedto the sense cells and arranged to operate in a sample state to sensethe current passing through the sense cells and having an outputarranged to drive the sense cell gate towards a voltage in which atarget current passes through the sense cells, and to operate in a holdstate to hold its output voltage and to drive the main cell insulatedgate with that output voltage.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a method of operating afield effect transistor, including:

providing a power field effect transistor having main cells controlledby main cell insulated gates and sense cells controlled by sense cellinsulated gates, and a sample and hold circuit connected to the sensecells;

switching to at least one sample state in which the sample and holdcircuit outputs a voltage to drive the sense cells but not the maincells, and sensing the sense cell current;

switching to a hold state in which the sense cell current is notmeasured; and

cycling between the sample and hold states.

The ratio of the time in the sample state to time in the hold state maypreferably be in the range 1:5 to 1:20.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, purely by way ofexample, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a circuit diagram of a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a circuit diagram of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a circuit diagram of a third embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a circuit diagram of a fourth embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 shows a circuit diagram of a fifth embodiment of the invention;and

FIG. 6 shows a circuit diagram of a sixth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a functional schematic diagram of a first embodiment of theinvention.

A power MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) isdivided into separate main cells 2 and sense cells 4, each connected toa common drain output terminal 8 and the main cells 2 being connected toa common source output terminal 6.

The sense cells 4 are connected through a feedback sample and holdcircuit 10 to a current sink 12, in the specific embodiment a chargepumped current sink.

The feedback sample and hold circuit 10 has a clock input 14 foraccepting a clock signal from driver 18 and has outputs 16 connected todrive the gates of the main and sense cells 2, 4.

The system is configured to operate in two states, a feedback samplestate and a hold state, as will be described below, and is switchedbetween them cyclically. The sample and hold circuit 10 operates in thesample state as a feedback circuit targeting a particular current, andin the hold state it holds its output voltage at the level it was whenit was put into hold mode.

Normal operation can be understood by considering one complete cycle ofoperation, and assuming a previously established current in the maincells 2.

In the feedback sample state, the sample and hold circuit 10 controlsonly the sense cell 4 gates, and the main cell 2 gates stay at anapproximately constant potential maintained by the main cell gatecapacitance. In this configuration, the sample and hold circuit acts asa control loop which targets the current through the sense cells 4 to bea predetermined target current which is corresponds to the designcurrent that the sense cells should carry.

At the end of the feedback sample state of the cycle a voltage will beestablished on the gate of the sense cells that represents, to aprecision limited by circuit slew and settling times, the voltage thatis required to establish the target current in the sense cells.

In the hold state, this voltage is applied to the gate of the main cells2 and results in a corresponding current passing through the main cells.The value of the target current is chosen so that the correspondingcurrent in the main cells is approximately equal to the required currentlimit in the device.

The voltage on the gates of the main cells does not have to reach thefinal value during a single hold state. The voltage just has to movesignificantly in the right direction and successive hold pulses willallow the voltage to home in on the correct value. Thus, the length ofthe hold state can be shorter than the settling time of the main cellgates.

When the circuit switches back to the feedback sample state the circuitshould quickly stabilise and acquire the new current control conditions.It can be seen that to a first approximation the sampling precision willaccumulate successive sampling pulses to compensate for a shortacquisition time.

The fact that the main cell 2 gates are not connected in the feedbacksample state ensures that the feedback loop is a small-signal feedbackloop that can accordingly quickly stabilise. The main cell 2 gates havesufficient capacitance that their voltage remains substantiallyconstant, thus shielding the feedback loop from variation, for examplevariation in the load.

There may be limits to the current that can flow through the cells 2,4determined by the circuitry connected to output terminals 6,8. In thiscase, the sample and hold circuitry will simply ensure that the cells2,4 are fully on; the target current will not be reached. In thisconfiguration the total current will be less than the current limit sothis is entirely satisfactory.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention in more detail.

The sample and hold circuit includes a first differential sample andhold voltage amplifier 20, which will be referred to for convenience asfirst amplifier 20, connected to drive a gate drive node 22 which isconnected directly to the gate of the sense cells 4 and through a firstswitch 24 to the gate of the main cells 2. The negative input of thefirst amplifier 20 is connected to a reference voltage supply 26 and thepositive input to an input summing node 28. A reference current source30 sources current into the input summing node 28 and a current mirrorcircuit 32 is connected between the source of the sense cells 4, theinput summing node 28 and a current sink 12. A second switch 34 connectsthe source of the sense cells 4 to the source of the main cells 2 andhence to the source terminal 6.

The current mirror circuit 32 includes a second differential sample andhold voltage amplifier 36, referred to for convenience as secondamplifier 36, with its negative input connected to the source terminal 6and its positive input to a mirror summing node 38 connected to thesource of the sense cells 4. A mirror sink FET 40 connects the inputsumming node 28 to the current sink 12 and a current sink FET 42connects the mirror summing node 38 to the current sink 12. The outputof the second amplifier 36 is connected to drive the gate of the mirrorFET 40 and through a third switch 44 to the gate of the current sink FET42. A fourth switch 46 connects the gate of the mirror summing node tothe source of the current sink FET 42.

The switches are in this embodiment CMOS type logic controlled switcheswith appropriately selected specifications, in particular suitableon-resistances.

The amplifiers 20,36 operate in the feedback sample state as operationalamplifiers, but in the hold state they utilise their own gain to effecta hold function to maintain their own output voltage at the level it waswhen the amplifier was put into hold mode.

Normal operation can be understood by considering one complete cycle ofoperation, and assuming a previously established current in the maincells 2. The system has two basic operating states, namely hold andfeedback sample states, that it will switch between at a cycle rate ofseveral 100's of kHz with a duty cycle of 7/1 or 15/1.

In the hold state the first, second and fourth switches are closed andthe third switch open. The first amplifier 20 holds its output at aconstant potential with respect to the main source terminal 6, theconstant potential being determined by the previous sample state. Thesecond amplifier 36 has its output held at a constant potential withrespect to the charge pumped negative rail provided by the negativecharge pump, i.e. current sink 12, the voltage being defined by theprevious “sample” state.

In the feedback sample state, the first, second and fourth switches areopen and the third switch closed. The first amplifier 20 operates toprovide the gain for a current regulating loop trying to control thecurrent in the sense cells to a level defined by the current fromreference current source 30.

In this mode the second amplifier 36 provides the gain to establish themirror summing node 38 as a virtual earth summing junction and thecurrent in the current sink FET 42 will be equal to the current comingout of the sense cells 4. Because the third switch 44 is closed and thefourth switch 46 open the circuit will try to “mirror” the currentflowing in mirror sink FET 40 as a scaled “copy” of the current flowingin the current sink FET 42.

Input summing node 28 also acts as a virtual earth that compares thecurrent flowing in the mirror FET 40 with the reference current Ireffrom the current source 30 and the potential on the input summing node28 will rise and fall in an attempt to achieve balance. This varyingpotential multiplied by the open loop gain of the first differentialamplifier 20 in the sample mode alters the gate-source voltage on thesense cells 4 and hence the current in them to attempt to achieve atarget current in the sense cells 4 that corresponds to that of Iref,with a scaling factor determined by the circuit configuration.

It is interesting, and important, that the main cells 2 do not featuredirectly in this control loop. The sense cells 4 are thus operating in asmall signal current control loop operating with their drain terminalsdriven from a voltage source and so have no reactive load. The absenceof such a reactive load minimises a 2nd order gain-phase characteristicthat might otherwise occur as a result of the combined effect of aninductive load and the Miller capacitance. In other words the main cells2 are shielding the sense cells 4 from the phase variations generated bythe load as a reaction to the control loop.

At the end of the sample state of the cycle a voltage will beestablished on the gate of the sense cells 4 and held in the hold mode.First the amplifiers 20, 36 are switched into hold mode in which theiroutput is held.

First switch 24 is closed to apply the first amplifier output voltage tothe gate of the main cells 2 and this results in a current substantiallyequal to the required current limit flowing through the FET whilst thedrain conditions remain substantially unchanged. Second switch 34 isclosed to short the inputs of the second amplifier together.

When the circuit is switched into the hold mode the voltage levelswithin the control loops are locked and the virtual earth isde-activated. The current through the current sink FET 42, which has tobe supplied by the charge pump in current sink 12, is reduced to zeroleaving the current sink 12 supplying essentially only the currentthrough mirror FET 40. The sense cell current is routed through thesecond switch 34. The main cell 2 gate is connected in parallel with thegate of the sense cells 4 both of them being fed from the “locked”output of first amplifier 20. During this period the load on the currentsink 12 is minimised which will allow its reservoir capacitor to slowlycharge back up to support another sample pulse with a duty cycle oforder 15:1.

When the circuit switches back to sample mode, as most of the nodepotentials have been held at their previous values, the circuit shouldquickly stabilise and acquire the new current control conditions. It canbe seen that to a first approximation the sampling precision willaccumulate over successive sampling pulses to compensate for a shortacquisition time.

A variant of the previous circuit can be used to provide a currentmeasurement functionality using the same sampling approach to facilitatea realisable charge pumped solution. Such a solution may have no currentlimit function or a current limit implemented in an alternative manner.

A further variant can perform both functions by multiplexing successivesampling pulses between the current measure and current limitingfunctions. This doubles the time between successive feedback samplestates on each function.

A simple schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the inventionimplementing such a dual function system is shown in FIG. 3.

A measurement sample and hold circuit 50 includes a measurement FET 52connected between a current measure output 58 and the current sink 12.The gate of the measurement FET 52 is connected to the gate of thecurrent sink FET 42 through fifth switch 54. A third sample and holddifferential amplifier 56 has its output connected to the gate of themeasurement FET 52 and inputs connected to the source output 6 and themirror summing node 38, like the second amplifier 36.

The operation of this circuit is best understood as an extension of theprevious circuit. In the circuit of the third embodiment there is anextra measurement sample state squeezed in whilst the current limitfunctional part of the circuit is in its hold state. With the firstamplifier 20 and the second amplifier 36 in their hold states, the firstswitch 24 closed and the third switch 42 open, the second and fourthswitches 34, 46 can be opened and the fifth switch 54 closed. This willconfigure the third amplifier 56 to be controlling another virtual earthtype circuit, using the same current sink FET 42 to source the currentonto the same summing junction 38. With this circuit the measurement FET52 acts as a separate scaled mirror device which passes a current with amagnitude that is proportional to the measured current.

At the end of its respective sampling pulse the measurement sample andhold circuit 50 is put into its hold mode and the second 34, fourth 46and fifth 54 switches returned to their previous state in the middle ofthe hold cycle in the current limit function. This will maintain themeasured current in the measurement FET until its next sample pulse whenit will take on any new value of measured load current.

Obviously this results in the full measure current being sourced by thenegative rail charge pump for two sample pulses (the feedback samplepulse and the measurement sample pulse) per complete system cycle whichwill involve an increase in charge pump capacity requirements.Additionally, in both the second and third embodiments the referencecurrent, Iref, flows continuously. This current has to be sourced fromthe negative rail current sink charge pump circuit 12, and in the thirdembodiment also the measurement current also needs to be sunk by thecurrent sink circuit 12.

A fourth embodiment is illustrated In FIG. 4, which has a similarfunctionality to that illustrated in FIG. 3, but addresses some of theseissues.

In this design the gate of the measurement FET 52 is directly connectedto a common node 61 which, is also directly connected to the gates ofthe mirror FET 40 and the current sink FET 42. Thus, the fifth switch 54and third amplifier 56 are omitted. Sixth switch 62 (corresponding tothe third switch in previously described embodiments) is providedbetween the output of second amplifier 36 and the common node 61. Backto back diodes 60 are provided on the differential inputs of the firstamplifier 20.

Reference current Iref from current source 30 is pulsed such that itonly flows during the feedback sample state. The mirror FET 40 onlyconducts during the feedback sample state and large excursions of the+ve input of the first amplifier 20 are constrained by back to backclamp diodes 60. The mirror FET 40 and measurement FET 52 nowcontinuously mirror the current in the current sink FET 42. The currentmeasurement output 58 now has three states, one representing the setcurrent limit, another representing the true measured current and thirdbeing “off”. The pulse of interest, the current measure signal, has tobe captured by a separate sample/hold function.

The inclusion of sixth switch 62 allows the currents in the mirror trioof the current sink FET 42, the mirror FET 40 and the measurement FET 52to be modulated to zero during the hold state, whilst retaining theprevious operating state in the hold memory of the second amplifier 36.In this new configuration a single virtual earth circuit, configuredaround the second amplifier 36, provides the measure and current limitvirtual earth functions on successive sample pulses. The first amplifier20 and the first and second switches 24,34 function identically to thearrangement in FIG. 3.

The arrangement of FIG. 4 is particularly interesting because, with onlya little additional circuitry the long “hold” states, of 7 or 15 samplepulse duration, can easily be used to enable the second amplifier 36 toauto-zero itself using its own loop gain and autozero circuit 63. Suchtechniques are well known to designers skilled in these techniques.After completion of amplifier auto-zeroing there should still be timefor the amplifier to re-acquire its “hold” state prior to the nextsample pulse.

This simple extension solves a lot of the problems of attainingsufficient accuracy from a virtual earth circuit with the very lowvalues of on-state voltage drop that are often found in cool runningapplications. This error arises because the input offset of an amplifierthat is used to implement the virtual earth function becomes significantcompared to the on-state voltage drop (particularly at low currentlevels). With balanced, charge injection cancelling techniques beingused for the auto-zeroing the effective input offsets can be reducedfrom the mV level to levels an order of magnitude or two lower.

Two further embodiments are disclosed in FIGS. 5 and 6. The embodimentsof FIGS. 1 to 4 relate to a current limited power device, which is oneapproach to limiting the peak dissipation in a semiconductor powerdevice in fault conditions. FIGS. 5 and 6, on the other hand relate to apower device with a current measurement circuit. Such power devices canbe used in a current trip approach where an accurate current measurementis made and the device latched off if the current ever exceeds apredetermined maximum, which may be preset or user-determined. In thiscase dissipation is contained, not by using a feedback control loop, butby selecting a value for the maximum current allowed before it tripssuch that the device on resistance contains the allowable voltage.

FIGS. 5 and 6 accordingly show circuits in protected power devices foruse in current trip circuits. They correspond to the circuits in FIGS. 3and 4 except for the omission of the feedback loop driving the firstdifferential sample and hold amplifier 20. The first and third switches24, 44 are accordingly omitted, the former replaced by a permanentconnection between the differential amplifier 20 and the main cell 2gate. The remaining second, fourth, fifth and sixth switches will bedescribed using these terms for consistency with the above descriptioneven in the absence of the first and third switches in theseembodiments.

The circuits operate as in the circuits of FIGS. 3 and 4 except that thefeedback sample state is omitted. There remains a measurement samplestate in which state a measurement current is mirrored onto themeasurement output terminal 58 and a hold state.

In the circuit of FIG. 5, the fourth switch 46 is opened and the fifthswitch 54 closed, to set up a measurement sample state having a virtualearth circuit with node 38 as the virtual earth and the voltage on theoutput of sample and hold amplifier 56 driving the current sink FET 42to sink the current from the sense cells. This drives the voltage on thegate of measurement FET 52 to sink the same current through terminal 58.In the hold state, fifth switch 54 is opened and second and fourthswitches closed to continue to sink the measurement current throughmeasurement FET 52.

Likewise, in the circuit of FIG. 6, in the measurement sample statesecond switch 34 and fourth switch 46 are opened and sixth switch 62closed. The second differential amplifier 36 operates with node 38 asvirtual earth to obtain conditions in which measurement FET 52 sinks acurrent through terminal 58 that matches the sense cell current. Thiscurrent only passes in the measurement sample state. In the normal, holdstate, second switch 34 and fourth switch 46 are closed and sixth switch62 opened. As in the arrangement of FIG. 4, the second differentialamplifier 36 can auto-zero in the hold state.

Although the circuits of FIGS. 5 and 6 are particularly designed forcurrent trip operation, it will be appreciated that circuits accordingto FIGS. 1 to 4 are also able to operate in this mode, especially thecircuits of FIGS. 3 and 4 with integrated measurement circuitry.

From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modificationswill be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations andmodifications may involve equivalent and other features which arealready known in the design, manufacture and use of semiconductordevices and which may be used in addition to or instead of featuresdescribed herein. Although claims have been formulated in thisapplication to particular combinations of features, it should beunderstood that the scope of disclosure also includes any novel featureor any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitlyor implicitly or any generalisation thereof, whether or not it mitigatesany or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention.The applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated toany such features and/or combinations of such features during theprosecution of the present application or of any further applicationsderived therefrom.

1. A device, comprising: a power insulated gate field effect transistor,having a main cell controlled by a main cell insulated gate and a sensecell controlled by a sense cell insulated gate; a sample and holdcircuit connected in series with the sense cell and arranged to operatein a plurality of states including at least one sample state and a holdstate, and configured to sense a current flowing through the sense cellwhen in the at least one sample state but not in the hold state; areference current source coupled to provide a reference current to thesample and hold circuit; a current mirror circuit arranged to operate inthe sample state and as feedback to tend to drive, with the referencecurrent, the sense cell gate towards a voltage in which a target currentmatching the reference current passes through the sense cell.
 2. Adevice according to claim 1 wherein the sample and hold circuit is afeedback sample and hold circuit configured to provide an output voltageto drive the sense cell gate towards a voltage in which the targetcurrent passes through the sense cell, and to operate in the hold stateto hold its output voltage to drive the main cell insulated gate withthat output voltage.
 3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the outputof the feedback sample and hold circuit is connected to a gate drivenode connected to the sense cell insulated gate and connected to themain cell insulated gate through a first switch, the first switch beingheld open in the sample state to isolate the main cell insulated gatefrom the gate drive node and closed in the hold state to drive the maincell insulated gate from the gate drive nodes.
 4. A device according toclaim 1 further comprising control circuitry connected to control switchor switches for cycling between the sample and the hold modes with aduty cycle in which the ratio of time in the sample mode to time in thehold mode is in the range 1:5 to 1:50.
 5. A device according to claim 1,wherein the current mirror circuit is configured to in the sample state,provide the feedback to modify the voltage level applied to the sensecell insulated gate based upon a comparison of the current sensed in thesense cell to a reference current, to drive the sense cell gate at atarget voltage level at which the current in the sense cell matches thereference current, and in the hold state, drive the main cell gate atthe target voltage.
 6. A method of operating a power field effecttransistor, the method comprising: providing the power field effecttransistor having a main cell controlled by a main cell insulated gate,a sense cell controlled by a sense cell insulated gate, and a sample andhold circuit connected to the sense cell; switching to at least onesample state in which the sample and hold circuit outputs a voltage todrive the sense cell but not the main cell, and sensing the sense cellcurrent; switching to a hold state in which the sense cell current isnot measured; and cycling between the sample and hold states.
 7. Amethod of operating a power field effect transistor according to claim 6wherein the sample and hold circuit is a feedback sample and holdcircuit connected to the sense cell; in a feedback sample state, thefeedback sample and hold circuit outputs a voltage to drive the sensecells but not the main cell, the feedback sample and hold circuit outputvoltage being driven towards a target voltage in which a predeterminedtarget current passes through the sense cell, based upon the sensedcurrent; and in the hold state the output voltage of the feedback sampleand hold circuit is held constant and used to drive the main cellinsulated gates with the target voltage.
 8. A method of operating apower field effect transistor according to claim 6, wherein in ameasurement sample state, the sample and hold circuit outputs a currenton a measurement output terminal corresponding to the current throughthe sense cell.
 9. A method according to claim 6 wherein the ratio ofthe time in the at least one sample state to time in the hold state isin the range 1:5 to 1:20.
 10. A method according to claim 6, furtherincluding, in the at least one sample state, comparing the sensedcurrent with a reference current, and based upon the comparison,modifying the output voltage to drive the sense cell to a target voltageat which the sense cell passes a current that matches the referencecurrent, in the hold state, applying the target voltage to the main cellinsulated gate.
 11. An electronic device, comprising: a power insulatedgate field effect transistor having a main cell controlled by amain-cell insulated gate and a sense cell controlled by a sense-cellinsulated gate; a current mirror circuit configured to, in a samplestate, provide feedback corresponding to current flowing through thesense cell; a sample and hold circuit configured to in the sample state,output a voltage to drive the sense cell gate towards a target voltageat which current flowing through the sense cell matches a referencecurrent, based upon the feedback from the current mirror circuit, and ina hold state, output the target voltage to drive the main cell insulatedgate; and a switch circuit connected between the sample and hold circuitand the respective gates of the main and sense cells, the switch circuitbeing configured to in the sample state, isolate the main cell insulatedgate from the sample and hold circuit, and in the hold state, connectthe sample and hold circuit to the main cell insulated gate.
 12. Adevice according to claim 11, wherein the switch circuit is configuredto cycle between the sample and the hold states at a duty cycle in whichthe ratio of time in the sample state to time in the hold state is inthe range of 1:5 to 1:20.
 13. A device according to claim 11, whereinthe switch circuit is configured to cycle between the sample and thehold states at a duty cycle in which the ratio of time in the samplestate to time in the hold state is in the range of 1:5 to 1:50.
 14. Adevice according to claim 11, further including a reference currentsource configured to provide the reference current, and a summing nodehaving an input connected to the reference current source and thecurrent mirror circuit for respectively receiving the reference currentand the feedback, the summing node being configured to provide a summedoutput corresponding to the reference current and the feedback fordriving the sense cell gate towards the target voltage.